1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to ligating clips, and to devices and methods for applying the same in surgical procedures. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to torsionally biased surgical ligating clips suitable for clamping blood vessels and ducts during laparoscopic or endoscopic surgery.
2. Background of Related Art
During surgical procedures, procedures frequently require the temporary or permanent occlusion of vessels to prevent the leakage of fluids (e.g. blood) through incisions made at the surgical site. A broad range of surgical ligating devices and techniques exist for occluding vessels. These include applying surgical ligating clips that are available in a variety of shapes and sizes including spring biased wires and plates. Typically, these devices are stored in a first position wherein the jaws of the clip are biased closed. The applying device opens the jaws of the ligating clip a predetermined distance against the bias of the ligating clip to position the ligating clip about a vessel. The applying device then releases the jaws to allow the bias of the ligating clip to return the jaws of the ligating clip to the closed position and occlude the vessel.
Ligating clips configured for use with applying devices are frequently limited in their application by the distance the jaws can open without permanently deforming the clip. The use of such clips is further limited by the accessibility to the surgical site. For example, only those clips sized to be inserted through an appropriately sized cannula can be used during laparoscopic or endoscopic procedures. In addition, clips having extended jaws can lose the amount of applied bias over time as the tissue shrinks and/or necroses.
Ligating clips for clamping blood vessels and ducts during open and endoscopic (herein understood to include laparoscopic) surgical procedures are well known in the art. The particular dimensions of a ligating clip to be used in an open surgical procedure are not constrained by the size of the access opening to the surgical site. However, during endoscopic surgical procedures access to the surgical site is typically achieved through an access device, such as a cannula, having a limited internal dimension (e.g. a diameter of 15, 10, or 5 mm). Accordingly, ligating clips used during endoscopic surgical procedures must be dimensioned and configured to be admitted to the surgical site through the access device. Because of the dimensional constraints on ligating clips used for endoscopic surgery, currently available ligating clips suffer from several drawbacks. These drawbacks include a smaller or reduced clamp opening, i.e., the distance between opposed clamping members of the ligating clip in the open position, and a difficulty in applying the ligating clips about tissue.
A continuing need exists for a simplified ligating clip having suitable flexibility for application over a range of vessel sizes without excessively deforming and that can maintain pressure on a vessel even when the vessel increases or decreases in size over time.
A continuing need also exists for a ligating clip that can be of a size that facilitates delivery through a cannula of limited internal dimensions, yet can maintain pressure on a vessel even when the vessel increases or decreases in diameter over time.
Accordingly, a need exists for a ligating clip that is suitable for use during endoscopic surgical procedures that has an enlarged clamp opening that can be positioned quickly and easily about tissue. In addition, there is a need for a ligating clip system including an applier and method for applying the ligating clip.
There is also a need for a clip applier that can apply the aforementioned ligating clips and that can be employed through cannulae having internal diameters of 15, 10, or 5 mm.